Newsletter July 2009 - Littleover Community School

Newsletter July 2009
At the end of term we will say ―Goodbye‖ and thanks to
ten members of staff, all of whom will be missed by staff
and pupils alike.
Four teachers are retiring after a combined 95 years
of service to LCS! They are:
Mrs English, Co-ordinator of Learning Support, who has
worked here since 1970, and who has established a dynasty
through her daughter, now Mrs Oversby, who teaches PE
here.
Mrs Holden, Head of the Millennium Centre, who has been
at LCS since 1989 and who was instrumental in setting up
the Millennium Centre in 1999 and has overseen its
development into Derby‘s most successful Sixth Form.
Mrs Bartholomew, who has taught English since 1989 and
is renowned for her wit and poetry.
Mrs Butler, Co-ordinator of PSHE, who has worked here
since 1993 and has established Citizenship, Enterprise and
Work Experience as significant influences within our
curriculum.
We wish all four the very best of health and a long and
happy retirement.
1

Three teachers have gained well deserved promotion in other
schools. They are:
Mr Berry, who has been appointed as Head of Science in Burton
on Trent.
Mr Summers, who has been appointed to a Second in English post
in Nottingham.
Mr Cassidy, who has been appointed as Head of Sociology in a
college in Burnley.
We wish them all happiness and success in their new posts.
Two teachers are moving abroad. They are:
Mr Watkinson, Head of Media Studies, who is moving back to
New Zealand.
Miss Thompson, Teacher of Languages, who is moving to the
USA.
We hope they enjoy their new lives.
In addition, Mr Johnson, our AVA Technician, is leaving to train
to be a Music Teacher. He is a former pupil who was in the very
first cohort of Millennium Centre students in 1999. We are
delighted that his experience at LCS as a Technician has
convinced him that he wants to teach. We hope that he will find
this an enjoyable and fulfilling career.
We will introduce our new members of staff at the start of next
term.
Mr Nichols
2

Mrs Holden, Mrs Butler, Mrs English and Mrs Bartholomew
3

Raffle Winners!
The recent School Council raffle raised a fantastic
£228 towards the School Council. Thank you to
everyone who bought a ticket. The winners
were;
First Prize (Signed Derby County shirt)
Rebecca Saw 8CLF
Second Prize (Denby dining service) Mr Jenkins
Third Prize (FA Cup holdall and wash-bag)
Rahul Shokar 8EAS
Fourth Prize (Fire station tour) Saajan Basi 10
Mr J Wilding—Deputy Headteacher
Autumn Term—Return to School Arrangements
We wish everyone a happy, healthy and enjoyable
Summer break. Pupils return to School on Monday
7th September 2009 at the usual time. Thursday 3rd
and Friday 4th September are INSET days.
Year 12 pupils return on Friday 4th September
4

On Friday 10th July, Year 9 pupils represented their
form groups by taking part in the following challenges:
Forensic Science
LCS Masterchef
Class Newspaper
Maths Challenge
Musical Youth
Team Challenge
Recycled Fashion
Sports Challenge
Pupils can compete in one event only and teams are
placed and awarded points as follows:
1st (10 points)—9th (1 point).
Results will be collated and announced at the final
assembly at the end of term.
Mr J Wilding—Deputy Headteacher
A selection of photographs from the Challenge
can be seen on the next page.
5

Year 9
Challenge
In ―Musical Youth‖, pupils had to
compose and perform a piece of
original music in just one hour
Members of 9DJB test
their skills as
Forensic Scientists
In LCS Masterchef, pupils
from 9SRT have their
dishes judged by ex-pupil
and professional chef,
David Webley
Mr Modhara made this
year’s maths challenge
particularly difficult!
6

Our trip to Germany was once again a roaring success,
with 204 pupils and 25 teachers hitting the Moselle
valley for four days in June.
On the coach journey we kept ourselves entertained
for many hours, broken up by a Channel Tunnel crossing
where we could at least get out and hang out for half
an hour in the empty compartment between coaches.
Our service station stops were a godsend for the
toilet attendants who earned a pretty penny/euro
(despite some hard bargaining from the languages
staff to reduce costs to 20 cents per pupil!)
Our arrival at Hotel Moselpark was greeted by huge
excitement. Rooms were occupied, cases were
unpacked and serious negotiations took place on who
slept in which bed.
Our first day in Koblenz was particularly scenic as the
weather was roasting, so we got some excellent photos
from the fortress on the hill over the rivers Rhein and
Mosel.
7

We had the chance to do some shopping as well as the
town trail, with teachers in small groups. Those who
didn‘t speak German at least learned the important
words of Eis and Limo to give them respite from the
heat. The spitting boy was also a great way to cool
down!
We had great fun in the evening after dinner, with a
range of games and activities on the field behind the
hotel building, where cricket, football, face-painting, a
forest walk, drama and rounders were the main
options.
Friday meant a visit to Trier to see the amphitheatre
and the Roman baths, with a visit to the picture
postcard town centre to top up on McDonalds or
Subway for some, and to sample Kaffee und Kuchen
for others. In the afternoon we worked it off at the
water park which proved to be a great success. The
never-ending queue for the flumes and the chill
sessions in the bubble pool were a hit with staff and
pupils alike. Mr Simmons wowed us with his diving
skills and a few brave souls tried to match him on the
high board!
Friday night is disco night, even in Germany, so we
donned our glad rags and headed for our cruise ship at
7.30pm, for a two and a half hour cruise and groove to
the sounds of the stars.
8

The boat was very luxurious with lots of space to
dance or sit and watch the more energetic among us.
Everyone had a fabulous time on our last night of the
trip. The captain and boat crew complimented us
when we were leaving, on how impressed they were
with the attitude and behaviour of our students.
Our last day was not all travelling though, as we had
a walk through the vineyards to Bernkastel where we
could do a spot of last minute shopping for presents
and souvenirs. It was indeed a long way home, but we
had had such a super time and everyone was very sad
to leave.
Thanks to all the parents who supported our trip
and to the pupils who made it such fun to take them
to Germany. Thanks also to our staff who helped to
make the trip such a success by their enthusiasm,
good humour and hard work.
Alles Gute! Frau Cowie
See more photos on LCS website
9

Year 11 GCSE Art and Technology work was
displayed in the school on Tuesday 23rd June; the
exhibition was a celebration of the diverse talents and
creativity of our pupils. The evening was a real success,
with many parents and pupils attending.
A special thank you goes out to the talented pianists
who performed on the evening!
Photographs of Pupils Work
10

Help is at hand!
Don‘t worry about choking, or
fainting, or needing to go into
the recovery position. LCS
has a team of trained experts
on hand ready to help out in
any emergency!
All Year 7 pupils attended a two
hour training session in basic
first aid techniques on either
the 24 th or 25 th June. This was
provided by the St. John
Ambulance Service and the
pupils will shortly receive a
certificate testifying to their
competence. This is valid for three years. Basic first aid is
a component of the PSHE curriculum and it was a pleasure
to be able to benefit from the expertise of such highly
skilled volunteers. The team of trainers were full of praise
for the pupils they worked with and admired their
enthusiasm and willingness to join in. The pupils also
enjoyed the training and many commented on its
usefulness.
The photographs show a group of pupils
helping to look after ―Annie‖!
12

Preparation for the World of Work
The media have been giving out glum messages about the
state of the economy for some time. The words ―credit
crunch‖ and ―recession‖ have become part of our daily
vocabulary and confront us every time we open a
newspaper or turn on the TV news. In view of this, we
anticipated the Year 10 pupils having more difficulty this
year in finding employers willing to accept them on work
experience. However, apart from a small minority, all the
pupils are placed and we are awaiting confirmation from
the Derbyshire Education Business Partnership that their
placements have passed the necessary health and safety
checks. The year group have shown great determination
and responsibility in trying to get into an area of work
that interests them and are to be commended on their
efforts.
As part of their preparation for work experience in
September, the annual Year 10 Industry Day was held on
the 2 nd of July: the hottest day of the year! Fourteen
local businesses and training organisations sent
representatives to attend and we were also fortunate in
using the marketing expertise of Andrea Brown from
Food Technology for the final workshop. The visitors
included familiar faces such as Derby College, Rolls Royce
(where the workshop was led by ex-pupil Jordan Fearn)
and the Fire and Rescue Service, whilst newcomers to the
school were the marketing department from the City
Council and Flight Sergeant Chris Flack from the RAF.
13

The aim of the day was to develop and practise skills
needed in the workplace, especially teamwork,
cooperation and communication. The content of the
workshops varied widely, but each pupil attended one
workshop designed to develop their skills in an interview.
The practical, hands on activities were the most popular,
as always, and included making and marketing food wraps,
designing load bearing tower structures and rescuing a
body from a smoke filled building wearing breathing
apparatus - to name but a few.
One new employer commented on their evaluation form
that it would be a pleasure to come back next year.
Another said:
―The students should be complimented on their
performance and attitude.‖
As always, we were proud of what the year group
achieved on that day. The photographs show the pupils
hard at work but enjoying their day.
Mrs M Butler—Co-ordinator of PHSE
14

LCS Pupils Join In Celebration of Success
LCS was again well represented at this year‘s Young Citizens
Award Ceremony, held on the 1 st July in the Darwin Suite at
the Assembly Rooms. Alice Railton (11TJB) spoke
confidently about her day out in London, as a winner in the
2009 Young Citizens Passport Competition. Her description
of Prime Minister‘s question time in the House of Commons,
brought smiles to the faces of many of the adults in the
audience!
In the Learning for Living writing awards, Millennium Centre
students took 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd places in the Key Stage 5
category. Vineeta Sehmbi (1 st place winner) called for a
change in British politics, having compared the situation in
the USA in the wake of the Obama Election with that in
Britain.
Nikita Pall, placed 2 nd , argued a convincing case
dexcrying any increase in university fees, whilst Mair
Plimmer-Craig (placed 3 rd ) looked at the issues of people
wanting a perfect body and the pressures from society to
conform to what people perceive as normal. At Key Stage 4,
Hannah Falgate (10VEL) took 3 rd
16
place with her well
constructed arguments about the rights and wrongs of
euthanasia.
Hannah‘s work was prompted by the media
coverage of Daniel James, the young rugby player, who
persuaded his parents to take him to Switzerland so that he
could die with dignity following an accident on the rugby
pitch.

Catherine Unwin (9DJB) secured 4 th place in the Key
Stage 3 section, with her own views on how young girls
were being pressured by the media to all look the same.
Last, but not least, Amrita Kaur (9SSM) won 3 rd prize in
the Spirited Arts Competition run in conjunction with
RE.
The standard of entries from all schools across the city
was high. Our winners well deserved their success,
although it was a shame that none of the boys‘ entries
received any recognition.
Some reminders:
If you are registered with the school as a gifted and
talented pupil, please sign up to become a member of
the National Young, Gifted and Talented Academy at
www.ygt.dcsf.gov.uk
The Academy provides a number of services including
access to: online and face-to-face activities, local and
national events and master classes, resources and
materials to support your work at school and links to a
host of useful websites. It is completely free!
Good luck to the pupils from Littleover who are taking
part in a number of Gifted and Talented Summer
Schools around Derby.
Mr D Bisset—G&T Co-coordinator
17

How gifted are you? Try this tricky problem.
A prize for the first
correct solution will be awarded
The Peace Conference
3 Saxons and 3 Vikings are making their way to a peace
conference. They must cross a river to get there. There is
a raft to get across the river, but it can only carry 2
people at once. Also someone must always be on the raft
to paddle it across the river. You must not have more than
3 of one group with 2 of the other, or 2 of one group with
1 of the other, or else they will start fighting. Bearing
this in mind, how can you organise the crossing safely?
Please send your solutions to
D.Bisset@littleover.derby.sch.uk
Answer in next newsletter
18

VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED
Do you have a good command of English?
Can you spare 1 hour per fortnight?
If the answer is YES, then YOU could be just what we are looking for!!
The School’s Sunrise Club currently has a vacancy for a person to help in English.
The club takes place before school from 7.30am-8.20am, and as we operate a two
weekly timetable, you would only have to attend once a fortnight.
Being a volunteer gives you the chance to:
Support the school
Develop communication skills
Be a role model
Have an involvement in the local community
INTERESTED?
Contact Mrs Pell at school if you think you could help or would like
more information on how the clubs operate.
TEL: 01332-513219 ext 169 or l.pell@littleover.derby.sch.uk
Pupils and volunteers working together.
19

After torrential
downpours during
the morning, the
weather held out
and by 5.00pm the sun
was out and so were the
crowds. The field was full
of activity and the smell
of good food, the
barbecue, wafted over
us all. Many young people
entertained us in
the arena with dance,
gymnastics and drama and the Year 7 cake stall
broke all records, making £246.00 on its own.
Final totals are still
to be worked out, but
we believe the fair
m a d e a r o u n d
£2,000. Thank you to
all who helped and
supported this
event.
Mrs M Bucknell—Co-ordinator of Drama
20

The Junior Maths Challenge involving students from Years 7 and 8 took place at the end of April. The following
pupils should be congratulated on their achievements – an outstanding number of certificates!
YEAR 7
GOLD
Katherine Voice
SILVER
Jed Cooper
Sarah Higgins
Ella Holness
Luke Jackson
Annabel Keen
Katherine Phelps
YEAR 8
GOLD
Eve Thompson - Best in School
Erica Campbell
Robert Christie
Aarondeep Dinas
Matthew Hassall
Ambereen Khan
Henry Melville-Sankey
Sunil Modhara
Bhasha Mukherjee
Simran Rai
SILVER
Rosheen Basit
Joshua Birchall
Alex Done
Chisa Ito
Natasha Pall
Preeti Rai
Samuel Railton
Sania Rehman
Simeon Runcorn
Alice Russell
Barvinder Sanghera
Rebecca Saw
Hardip Sehmbi
James Smith
Jake Spooner
Kate Stephenson
Claire Stoll
BRONZE
Ryan Atkins
Jade Bacon
Matthew Burman
Jordan Clarke
Mae Emery
Zoe Green
Ibrahim Haider
Ashley Harrison
Shenuka Jayatunga
Timothy Maine
Dilraj Sadhera
Amrit Sagoo
Ravin Sahota
Erina Sakuma
Karam Shergill
Anna Syed
Robert Whitehorn
Sophie Wilkinson
BRONZE
Jordan Cox
Susanna Elks
Matthew Elliott
Samuel Foxon
Virain Gupta
Eric Herbert
Saul Herbert
Holly Hewitson
Muzamal Hussain
Eleanor Jenney
Kate Johnson
Bethan Key
Robert Matthews
Haaris Muhammed
Falak Naweed
Bethany Neale
Lucy Owen
Samuel Pyle
Emily Ryan-Dawkins
George Salloway
Jordan Warren-Evans
Miss Youseman
21

Shadowing the Carnegie Medal
What is the Carnegie Medal?
The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding
book for children. It is awarded by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of
Library and Information Professionals and is voted for by librarians.
What have we been doing?
We have been meeting every two weeks to discuss our thoughts and
opinions on the seven nominated books. On the last week, we voted
twice: firstly for the book we hoped would win; and secondly, for the
book we thought would win.
22

The Winner: Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
Ireland, 1981. Fergus goes digging for peat in the Irish
bogs and discovers something. Meanwhile, his brother,
a political prisoner, is half-dead on hunger-strike in
prison. The terrorist attacks and a mixture of feelings
make Fergus very confused. But his dreams make even
less sense…
“A sparkling, optimistic read with an amazing storyline
and awesome descriptions.”
The Runners-Up:
After being rung up by a friend, a
boy is invited to attend a fair.
Upon arrival he is greeted by a
surprise.
“An enjoyable, different read.”
One boy (and his
imagination) embarks on an
adventure into space.
“A light-hearted, easy to
read book.”
Three boys take their
friend’s ashes to
Scotland to give him a
proper burial.
“A challenging,
complicated, bizarre,
but good read.”
After recently moving to a new
area, a boy gets involved in
crime, whilst at the same time,
his brother meets a mystical
creature.
“A gritty, „unbelievable‟ and
controversial book.”
A boy who can hear other
men’s thoughts is forced to
run away because of the
threat of imminent danger.
“A slow-burner, which
transforms into a raging
fire of a book.”
A boy, born in the air, saves a
princess’s life and becomes a knight.
However, he is framed by an evil
villain and must fight to regain his
honour.
“An exciting adventure story with an
imaginative twist.”
Visit the Carnegie Medal Website for more information and reviews:
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/carnegie/
Copies of all seven books are in the Library. Happy reading!
D. Buchanan and the RRR Group
23

On the 15th and 29th June, a small group of students
from Year 7 and 8 went to Wren Park school to perform
a play to Year 6 pupils. The theme of the play was
‗Friendship‘ and the students were hoping to help Year 6
with their worries about starting secondary school and
making new friends. They play was devised by the
students themselves, and they performed it with
enthusiasm and confidence to the younger pupils. After
the play, LCS students worked with the Wren Park pupils
during a series of Drama activities, looking at their
memories of primary school and the happy times they
have had there. Some of the group were brave enough to
be ‗hot seated‘ by the younger pupils and answered a
barrage of questions about our school! All in all, the two
sessions at Wren Park were a great success and the
group felt that we had really made a difference to the
way Year 6 felt about the daunting experience of the
transition from primary to secondary school.
It is hoped that we may extend this to some of our
other junior schools in the future.
Mrs B Bush—Teacher of Drama
24

We have been very fortunate to be amongst the first to
secure the amateur performing rights. The school has
been alive with the sounds of auditions, with key parts
being allocated before the holidays begin. Rehearsals
will begin as soon as the new term starts.
Having previously performed a comic duologue at the Heads‘
Conference in the Spring Term, Rebecca Saw and Bethany
Neale (8CLF) were invited to present their performance at a
‗Gifted and Talented‘ conference on Monday June 22 nd . In fact
their performance was the first item on the agenda!
25

Year 12 Visit to Ivy House School
On Thursday 1 st July, five Year 12 pupils were joined by
ex-student James Peake in a visit to perform for pupils at
Ivy House School. Ivy House School is a day community
special school for pupils aged 2-19 years who experience
severe, profound multiple and complex learning difficulties.
The school re-opened on its new site adjacent to Derby Moor
School in September 2008 and the new-build hosts a range
of specialist facilities, such as a sensory room and
hydrotherapy pool.
Over the last 5 years, AS level Music students have made
the annual visit to perform for Ivy House pupils and join
them for an afternoon of shared music-making in the final
weeks of the Summer term.
After performing individually, the Year 12 students joined
pupils from Ivy House in performing songs from High School
Musical and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.
26

Music Festival 2009
This year‘s Festival was held on Thursday 9 th July to a
packed audience. The star of the evening was Tom Cureton
(Year 13) who took the title of Young Musician of the Year,
with a truly awesome performance of ‗Phunkdified‘ by Justin
King on guitar. Rachel Benson (Year 9) was in hot pursuit
however, with a record-breaking five appearances on stage
throughout the evening.
During the first two weeks of June, over 100 pupils
auditioned in nine different instrumental and ensemble
sections. The standard of the entries was very high this year
and of the performers who went on to compete in the final
heat on the 9 th July, the following pupils were awarded
winning titles:
Junior Voice: Rachel Benson
Senior Voice: Megan Jack
Strings: Tom Cureton
Brass: Matt Russell
Woodwind: Hannah Williams
Piano: Chihiro Shimizu
Percussion: Daniel Shooter
Duets: Rachel Benson and Sarah Benson
Ensemble: George Wheatley, Jyuddah Muzahura,
Adam Slaney
After a striking opening performance set to ‗Fanfare for the
Common Man‘, prepared by Mr Chawner, other highlights of
the evening included a performance by the Chamber Choir
and the Dave Bisset Blues Explosion Band during the two
intervals. Thank you to all the performers during the night as
well as the many who took part in the earlier audition stages.
27

Music
Music Festival Contestants
Overall Winner—Tom Cureton on the Guitar
28

Young Engineers and Scientist of Derbyshire
Competition 2009
Congratulations to the Year 12 team who won the Derby
University award for innovation for their design,
teamwork and manufacture of a seat for a sporting event
made from only newspaper and a roll of masking tape.
The team were competing against other teams from the
Derbyshire area.
Congratulations also go to the Year 10 team, Daniel
Minto, Sam Randall and Oliver Stanley, who were
positioned very high up in their event, to Design and
Manufacture a stadium with a retractable roof for
sporting events. One member of the team, Oliver
Stanley, also won the Tony Claridge award for the
individual who displayed the most enthusiasm for
Engineering.
The Year 9 team, who also entered the stadium
competition, worked very hard all day and also produced
an excellent product, but narrowly missed out on the top
spot and were runners up in their section.
A selection of Photographs from the competition can be
seen on the next page.
Mr R Smith—Teacher of Design & Technology
29

30
Young Engineers
Competition 2009

PRESTIGIOUS SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO
LITTLEOVER COMMUNITY SCHOOL STUDENTS
Two Year 11 pupils from Littleover Community School have
been awarded an Arkwright Scholarship as they prepare to
study A Level Product Design at school this Autumn. For the
fourth year running, students at Littleover Community School
have been successful in being awarded this prestigious
Engineering Scholarship.
Adam Palmer and Irfan Shah (Year 11) have been selected to
receive an Arkwright Scholarship after a rigorous selection
process. They successfully passed the Aptitude Paper,
demonstrating flair and originality in solving Engineering
Design problems and presenting excellent GCSE work to a
panel of interviewers earlier this year, in March and April.
They will be presented with their scholarships at a ceremony
hosted by the Institution of Engineering and Technology,
Savoy Place, London on Friday, 30 October 2009.
The Arkwright Trust supports young people during their ‗A‘
Level years by awarding £250 a year to assist with the
purchase of materials and books. Adam Palmer and
Irfan Shah will also carry the status of ‗Arkwright Scholar‘
into university. The school‘s design and technology
department receives £200 per year for the next two years.
Scholarships are supported by individuals, companies,
institutions and the service.
31

251 schools from all over the UK selected their strongest
pupils with significant aptitude for engineering for the
award. From 770 applications 240 scholarships were
awarded.
We are very proud that Adam and Irfan are two of them and
wish them all the best in their A Level studies at the
Millennium Centre.
Chris Simmons—Co-ordinator of Technology
An update on the Belling competition. world record attempt.
The information has been sent to the adjudicators to see if a
world record was made. It can take up to 12 weeks for
confirmation to be given; further information at the start of
next year. The school has won an electric cooker and two mini
ovens. These should be delivered to school, hopefully before
we break up.
Congratulations to all those who took part.
Mrs J Richardson—Co-ordinator of Food
32

Minority Parents Forum
The dates for the Minority Parents‘ Forum meetings for
2009/10 are:
Tuesday 15/09/09
Tuesday 10/11/09
Tuesday 12/01/10
Tuesday 02/03/10
Tuesday 27/04/10
Tuesday 15/06/10
The aim of the group is to involve all members of the school
community in the life of the school. Parents organise food
sales at the school community events and help with the PSA
Summer Fair by running an Asian food stall. In recent years
the group has contributed towards the costs of replacing
the school minibus and piano. They make regular
contributions to the Library to buy books with a
multicultural theme. The forum has also organised a trip to
see the Divali Lights in Leicester. If you have new ideas and
would like to be involved with this group, then please make
a note of the dates in your diary. The meetings are
arranged for the second week of each half term. They start
at 6:30pm and last for about thirty minutes. If you would
like to be involved with the school life, meet other parents
and can spare about an hour each term, you are very
welcome to come along. For further details please contact
me on: 01332 513219 Ext 149 or leave a message with
reception. Alternatively look out for my invitation in
September.
Mr Modhara
33

PSA NEWS
It has been an interesting and challenging year for us
in the PSA, with a new intake of parent volunteers mostly
new to the PSA. The retirement of the Chairperson,
Secretary and Treasurer at the AGM in September, all of
whom had given many years of service to the Committee,
meant we had a tough act to follow.
The events that the PSA have supported, include
supplying refreshments at events such as the Christmas
events and the annual music festival. These have been
enjoyable and have given us time to find our feet. We also
organised and ran a Y7 disco, which was thoroughly
enjoyed by all who took part.
The final event of the year was the Summer Fair. The
event would not have been possible without the help of
staff at the school and members of the PSA, who
ensured the event was such a success. Their energy
helped raise over £2,000.
I look forward to another enjoyable and successful
year next year and to continuing to support the pupils at
Littleover Community School.
Finally, a big thank-you to all the parents who have
given up their valuable time this year, to attend meetings
and to support our events. Without this support the PSA
couldn‘t function.
Ed Braithwaite PSA Chairman
34

My visit to Pembroke College, Cambridge University,
30 th June – 2 nd July
I recently attended the Pembroke
College Science Masterclass, to
experience what life is like at
Cambridge University for a student
studying Science. During my stay,
I went to two lectures, stayed in
the student accommodation, and had
lots of scientific and mathematical
problems to solve.
I arrived at the college at 12:30,
just in time to find my room and unpack before lunch (if I
was expecting 4 star luxury accommodation, then I was in for
a shock). Inside my room there was just a bed, a wardrobe
and a small desk, but not bad for 700 years old!
After lunch we were taken around Cambridge for a ‗Science
Treasure Trail‘. We had to answer questions about some of
the old buildings and colleges, and about all the scientific
discoveries that were made in Cambridge – we walked past
the pub where scientists Watson and Crick once thought of
the double helix (DNA structure) on the back of a beer mat!
We also walked past some of the other colleges in
Cambridge, which were huge, and all of them were very old!
That evening we had a lecture by Dr Cyril Isenberg MBE, who
was talking about bubbles. I learnt that a bubble will always
try to make a shape with the smallest possible surface area.
35

Therefore, you can use bubbles when designing roads
from two or more places, as the bubbles will show the
shortest route. On the second day we visited two museums: a
Zoology Museum, and the Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology, where we learnt how humans have developed
over time. That afternoon, we had a lecture about fluorine by
Professor John Holloway OBE. I learnt that fluorine is very
reactive, and reacts with almost anything viciously.
That evening, we had to dress in formal wear for a formal
dinner. Before we ate, we had a formal photograph on the
college lawn where the staff were wearing their gowns. Just
before we started our four courses in the formal hall, the
Dean of the college said grace in Latin.
On the last day we went to a Geology lab where we had a
lesson called ‗Where on Earth are we?‘ We looked at where
different rocks are found in the UK, and at the end, we had
to work out how fast the UK is moving across the Earth – we
learnt that it is moving 2cm a year! After lunch it was time to
leave. Overall, I had a great time, and had a fantastic
experience learning what University life is like at Cambridge.
I built up my confidence
and managed to make lots
of new friends there.
When I eventually have to
choose which University I
want to attend, I certainly
know which will be top of
the list!
Jade Harrison—10JRW
36

CITY SPORTS
Wednesday 1 st July
RECORD SMASHED BY
LITTLEOVER PUPIL!
On July 1 st, over 60 pupils from Littleover
spent the day at Moorways Stadium competing
at City Sports. It was an exceptionally hot
day with little shade and no wind, but all our
pupils were a credit to the school and
competed with fantastic determination. The
overall results reflected their efforts, with
all but one of our teams finishing in the top
five and two teams being one point away from
first place!
Mae Emery competing in the Year 7 High Jump was pushed all the way by a fellow
competitor, but finally secured first place in a thrilling competition. Her final jump of
1.43m smashed the previous record of 1.35m, a fantastic achievement.
Congratulations to all pupils who participated, listed below are the successful pupils
who finished in the top three of their event.
Year 7
Mae Emery – High Jump Winner – New City Sports Record 1m 43 (was 1m 35)
Kyle Clarke – 100m Winner
Laura Szuta – 200m Winner
Sam Hassall – 800m 2 nd Place
Josh Buckle – Shot Put 2 nd Place
Praise Tokode – 100m 3 rd Place
Erina Sakuma – Javelin 3 rd Place
Alice Rubini – Long Jump 3 rd Place
37

Year 8
Harris Muhammed – Javelin Winner
Eleanor Jenney – Javelin Winner
Kate Stevenson – 100m Winner
Chloe Harris – 200m 2 nd Place
Sabaa Khan – Shot 2 nd Place
Rachel Jackson – Long Jump 3 rd Place
Year 9
Miriam Jones – 800m 2 nd Place
Roshan Gunga – Triple Jump 2 nd Place
Gurcheaton Rattu – Shot 2 nd Place
Jordon John – 100m 2 nd Place
Eoin McGuire – 400m 3 rd Place
Year 10
Evie Keane – 800m Winner
Zoe Brown – 100m Winner
Lynsey Lawton – 200m 2 nd Place
Elisha Cooper – High Jump – 2 nd Place
Hannah Falgate – 1500m 2 nd Place
Robert Carr – 800m 2 nd Place
Luke Abbott – Javelin 3 rd Place
Matt Fox – 200m 3 rd Place
Azaliah Kydd – Shot 3 rd Place
Overall Team Positions
Year 7 Girls
Year 8 Boys
Year 8 Girls
Year 9 Boys
Year 9 Girls
Year 10 Boys
Year 10 Girls
2 nd place (by 1 point)
5 th Place
4 th Place
2 nd Place (by 1 point)
3 rd Place
4 th Place
2 nd Place
Mrs Stroud—Co-ordinator of P.E.
38

Having been postponed because the of the rain, the
Year 10 rounders tournament finally took place at
Murray Park School on Wednesday 20th May. Because
of the rearranged date, not as many schools were able
to compete, but there were still enough schools there
to make it interesting. Littleover got off to a good
start by winning their first two games convincingly.
The second two games were closely contested, but we
came away the loser in both of them. However,
because they were close scoring games we achieved
points for the results. This meant that we finished 3rd
overall which was a pleasing result, although not the
outcome we had been hoping for at the start of the
tournament. The team has worked well together and
supported each other in practices and in the games.
Well done to all the pupils who have turned up to the
practices each week and have helped out with some of
the younger pupils.
Next year will be our year to win !!
Mrs J Poulton
Teacher of P.E.
39

In its 5th year of competition, the Littleover Fantasy Football League attracted nearly
100 teams from both pupils and staff. Nationally there were over 2000 schools
entered with over 250,000 teams.
The Top Three Managers at Littleover Were:
1 st – Mrs Pell
2 nd – Matt Crowther (7DTB)
3 rd - Khurum Hussain (8 IXM)
The Year Team Awards Went to the Following:
Year 7 Matt Crowther
Year 8 Khurum Husain
Year 9 Aidan Bonsar
Year 10 Scott Wise
Year 11 Tom Smith
Staff: Mrs Pell
FA Cup Competition
Winner: Mr Harris
Congratulations to all those of you who took part in what turned out to be a very
dynamic and exciting competition. I have already entered the school in next year’s
league and entry forms will be available from September onwards.
League Chairman— Mr D Bisset
40

INTERFORM SPORTSDAY
SIX SCHOOL RECORDS WERE BROKEN THIS YEAR!!
IN YEAR 7
Mae Emery High Jump 1.30m
Beating S. Bottomley’s record of 1.28m, set in 1995
IN YEAR 8
Kate Stevenson 100m 13.58s
Beating S. Nelson’s record of 14.2s, set in 2006
IN YEAR 10
Elisha Cooper High Jump 1.41m
Beating S. Bottomley’s record of 1.40m, set in 1998
Elisha Cooper 100m 13.44s
Beating L Steadman’s record of 13.7s, set in 2006
Evie Keane 800m 2.45.69s
Beating K Martin’s record of 2.46.00s set in 1990
Matt Fox 200m 24.81s
Beating S.Foote and T. Britland’s joint record of 24.90s set in 1990 and 2006
OVERALL FORM WINNERS
YEAR 7 YEAR 8 YEAR 9 YEAR 10
PJM KAW NLY VEL
Special mention must be made to Evie Keane who now holds records for the 800m in
Year 7, 9 and 10. She didn’t get the chance to break the Year 8 record as sports day was
rained off that year!
Kate Stevenson also broke the Year 7 100m record and Elisha Cooper the Year 9 High
Jump record last year.
Well done to everyone who took part or helped, it was an excellent day.
Mrs S Stroud—Co-ordinator of P.E.
41

Sports Day Pictures
42

In May, netballers from Year 7,8,9 and 10 went on weekend
away to P.G.L in Devon, to participate in a netball tournament
and team building activities.
We had superb performances by every team; Year 7 gained
experience, Year 8 put up a good fight and managed to get to
the semi finals. Year 9 did very well getting through to the
final and winning, whilst Year 10 got to the semi finals and
made a brilliant effort, but unfortunately were beaten by a
team they had previously won against earlier in the weekend.
Throughout the weekend we took part in various activities
ranging from climbing a 40ft rope course, to archery and
seeing who had the best shot, unfortunately it wasn't our
shooters.
The team building activity really bought out the best in
everyone because they were helping each other, giving advice
and just moral support; which is really good to see. Without
this kind of friendship and communication among us we would
not have been able to perform to the best of our ability;
which was not a problem at all!
43

On the first night we all took part in different activities.
Year 7 and 8 did a treasure hunt, whilst Year 9 did passport
to the world and Year 10 did the egg race, all of which were
quite childish, but we managed to make them as enjoyable as
possible.
On the second night we all had a massive rounders game
which was very eventful and a real laugh, despite the bother
from a bad umpire, who was determined not to let some
people have any rounders (Mrs. Stroud).
On the final day the different year groups took part in some
other quick activities before any games they had and then we
had lunch and prepared for the long journey back home,
which wasn‘t too bad seeing as we had Mrs Johnson keeping
us entertained.
It was an absolutely amazing weekend that everyone
definitely enjoyed and gained a lot of experience from. For
Year 10 that was our final year going to Devon
(unfortunately), and think we will never forget the past two
years we have been there. We have gained confidence and
become better, which we hope will reflect on all the other
year groups as they follow the example that we have set for
Netball at LCS and everywhere else.
Many thanks to all members of staff, we all really enjoyed it!
By Millie Hodson and Elisha Cooper
Year 10 Pupils
44

Devon 2009—Netball Teams
Year 9/10 Tennis
Year 9 & 10 tennis teams have competed in
two competitions this year. In the county
tennis competition, the boys competed against Queen
Elizabeth Grammar School, Derby Moor, John Port and
Lady Manners. The boys narrowly lost to Derby Moor,
but won the remaining games.
The boys were also successful in the city league,
beating West Park and Murray Park.
Mr G Wilson—Teacher of P.E.
45

WELL DONE!
Year 10 Leadership Academy
As part of the Sports Leadership course, Year 10 pupils
have been working with local primary schools gaining
valuable experience leading small groups. Brookfield
Primary School and St Peters school have been coming
down to Littleover School during Year 10 lessons, and
our pupils have lead activities such as rounders, cricket,
orienteering and athletics. The feedback from schools
has been extremely positive, which is a credit to all
pupils involved.
Also, as part of the course, pupils have been going into
local primary schools to assist with their Sports Days.
Once again the feedback was very positive. Both
Brookfield and St Peters stated that if it wasn‘t for our
pupils their events wouldn‘t have run as well.
Year 10 pupils also give up their time at lunchtimes,
running activities for the lower school pupils. This is part
of the voluntary hours required to complete the course.
I would like to congratulate all pupils involved for their
maturity, cooperation and dedication to the course. All
pupils who completed the course will gain a Level 1 award
in Sports Leadership which is a nationally recognised
award.
46

Golf Extreme
As part of the Golf Foundations bid to improve the
participation rates of golf in England, they have
introduced golf extreme in Secondary schools. The
game is very similar to normal golf, using normal clubs,
but a compressed ball which travels less distance.
Littleover school took part in a golf extreme festival
at Derby College, involving skill based activities, which
included putting, chipping and pitching. Each station
involved scoring points for accuracy and control.
Littleover won the
festival with a total of
244 points, 10 points
clear of second place
Murray Park.
Congratulation to
Cameron Patrick, Josh
Birchall, Will Osborne, Simeon Runcorn, Ashley
Harrison and Sam Pavlou, who all won a goody bag and
golf ball for their efforts.
Mr G Wilson—Teacher of P.E.
47

CL
S
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